Gen Z has a different attitude about baby -boomers and millennial meals – and he presents himself in smaller tickets in the restaurants of the channel

“If the restaurant is too viral, I do not want to go, but if there is no buzz around it, I will not go,” said Jones, a 26 -year -old growth strategist with the Redscout brand, said Fortune. “I look at criticism and I need other gourmets to sign a place before spending my dollars.”

Jones is like many younger guests who want a better blow for their money when they go out to eat. According to a survey of Eater And Vox Media Released at the end of March.

“I will not eat in a restaurant if it is not on Tiktok because I do not trust the taste buds of a boomer,” said Jones. “I know that my colleague Gen Zers has his FBI hat during the examination of a restaurant.”

Based on social media to find new restaurants is not the only tendency to drive the Gen Z dining room. Many customers choose to share plates or order appetizers and children’s meals to compensate for the cost of catering during a period of inflation and prices.

“We will divide the appetizers and the entrances so that everyone can try something,” said Jones. “It’s an opportunity, so we want to try everything.”

At the end of 2024, the Americans spent $ 166 a month to eat on average, according to the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Meanwhile, 16 popular chain restaurants increased their prices on average by 42% between 2020 and 2025, according to a finance buzz study.

But for restaurants, it meant smaller tickets for young guests.

“This is a trend that industry looks closely,” said Barry McGowan, CEO of the Brazilian Steakhouse Fogo chain of Chão Fortune. The ZERS generation is more “considerate in terms of value. Alcohol consumption also changes. This generation is more likely to opt for reverse household cocktails or low ABV drinks. ” Fogo de Chão has more than 70 locations worldwide and was acquired by Bain Capital Private Equity in August 2023 for $ 1.1 billion.

More generation Zers also choose to become sober – not only as a way to save money, but to avoid falling into alcoholism and living a healthier lifestyle.

“Gen Z socialise less in person and social standards can change,” said Brooke Arterberry, researcher at the Social Research Institute of the University of Michigan who studied young people with alcohol, previously said Fortune‘S Alicia Adamczyk. “Parental changes could also be a factor, as well as the increased pressure that young people think of succeeding, the amount of information accessible on the dangers of alcohol consumption, and even economic instability.”

A report from the National Restaurant Association 2024 has also shown that more than 75% of customers want smaller portions for less money. But some fast and fast food chains have taken up the challenge, as subway introducing a menu focused on snacks and bread panera leaning in its popular “You choose two” agreement for a cup of soup and half-sandwich or a salad, which generally costs less than $ 10.

“Several channels have noticed that with younger guests reducing alcohol, the average size of the tickets has dropped slightly,” said Joe Hannon, Director General of Stocks and Sales of the Restaurant Restoration Software Software365 Fortune. “Some restaurants also adopt the trend of adults that order from children’s menus as a profitable option and controlled by portion, which helps them attract and retain young customers.”

An influencer of social media, Ashley Garrett, even gave his mission to review children’s meals in as many restaurants as possible to help other adults find tasty and aware of prices. The 33 -year -old man says she eats children’s meals five times a week and thinks that the portions of restaurants are too large and too expensive.

“Give me chicken offers or a basic pasta dish, and I’m happy,” said Garrett The Wall Street Journal.

How other generations dine

It is not completely a generational trend in worrying about the prices of the menu during this inflationary period when consumer confidence falls.

Indeed, 86% of consumers have declared that they have changed their restoration behaviors in one way or another to navigate inflation, with approximately one third choosing elements of cheaper menu and 29% of planning their meal around budgetary constraints, according to the Eater/ Vox Media Survey. More than 60% of baby boomers said that finding a fair or reasonable price was one of their main factors in selecting a new restaurant to try. An McKinsey & Co. report published in February also shows that fewer consumers plan to make follies on restaurants and grocery store.

However, Hannon said he had in fact noticed an increase in expenses in a category for baby boomers.

“The interesting baby boomers have in fact increased their alcohol spending, often treating restaurants as an indulgent experience,” he said.

Although General Zers generally finds new restaurants via social media, millennials still count on Google and Yelp for opinions.

“Millennials are counting strongly on online platforms, but they generally look at criticism and notes rather than aesthetics,” added Hannon.

A version of this story originally published on Fortune.com April 19, 2025.

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